Sunday, June 2, 2013

Sushi Rock

              We washed up on the shores of Sushi rock after braving a torrential downpour in search of two things: a classy spot to enjoy date night with my husband, lets call him Bill, and a chance to experience a restaurant that we had heard a great deal about from varying points of view. I think that it is safe to say that we got off to a rocky start with Sushi Rock, but in the end we were pleasantly surprised.  I am not typically big on Americanized Japanese cuisine but I always go into restaurants knowing that my enjoyment of the food will be my first and foremost factor. If the food is good authenticity can and must take a back seat.
             
                 The service was excellent from the start, our waitress was friendly and efficient and we never had to wait for long.  The Miso soup I ordered however could have used less green onions but the broth was rich and well made, and the Edamame was initially understeamed. This was quickly remedied. Sending food back is something that Bill and I never do but our waitress handled the situation with complete grace.  Bill, not being a fan of raw fish ordered the lobster Mac and cheese and I ordered the Jade Roll.  the Jade Roll- spicy tuna, salmon deep fried, avocado, crunch; spicy mayo and eel sauce was a party in my mouth.  the flavors were well blended and the salmon on top was perfectly crispy, and the avocado was totally fresh.  Something that you should know about me is that I have a very serious problem with foods that claim to be spicy that fail in this respect.  The jade roll was a total success. the presentation was absolutely lovely with sauces drizzled artistically on the plate.  Although I am a firm believer that there is no mac and cheese better than my own Sushi Rocks lobster mac and cheese was an exceptionally close rival. It had a full bodied flavor and they didn't try to make the fatal mistake of skimping on the lobster. The service was impeccable, including the manager personally checking in on us and making desert recommendations which we were sure to follow.

               Following the managers recommendation Bill and I split a slice of their homemade Cookie dough Cheesecake.  The gentleman who created this masterpiece is a man named Mike from Brooklyn New York.  Mike provides the restaurant with a rotating schedule of different kinds of cheesecake.  Cheesecake is not a desert I typically partake in but for once I'm glad I did.  Mr. Mike didn't try to leave the cheese out of the cheesecake but at the same time it didn't overpower the other offered flavors.

                All in all our dining experience at Sushi Rock was an excellent experience.  Even my husband, who has a tendency to be a picky eater had a good time and had almost nothing but good things to say. The menu had something for everyone and I'm looking forward to repeating my experience.When my cat Winnie compelled us to go out for some quality fish, she did not count on the fish being so good that there were no leftovers.

If you want to experience this sushi and more for yourself, go to 2101 Richmond Rd G1, Beachwood, OH 44122 and tell them Winnie's Dish sent you.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Burger Nuts

You know that awkward moment when you are at an Asian restaurant and you suddenly find yourself weighing how much you want this food versus how off-putting the decorations are? One of the biggest lessons we are taught growing up is not to judge a book by its cover.  A good example of this is would be my cat Winnie. Winnie, to all outward appearances is a fat, lazy, cat but in reality is a criminal mastermind.  Another good example of this is my husband, lets call him Ted. Don't let Ted's cute face and innocent demeanor fool you, behind closed doors he is devious. Who would ever guess?

      When I first walked into Burger Nuts on May 20th I almost walked right back out. Fairly dingy, with pretty bad lighting it was not a place I would typically have stopped to eat. However, I was coming from a funeral and I was in desperate need of carbs so this is where I ended up.  The menu style was BYOB: build your own burger. The modular assembly isn't always a good combination with somebody with the degree of ADHD that I have.  A literal wall of choices!  The service wasn't overly friendly but very efficient. That was fine with us, we didn't go there to make friends, we went to eat burgers.
             
       I ordered a 1/2 pound bison burger with Pepperjack cheese, pickles, with A1 with a side of jalapeno poppers. when the food was first served all I could think about was how I would have made the jalapeno poppers differently. However it turned out to be love at first bite. My main complaint about burgers is that they are either too dry or too greasy but here it was not the case. It was perfection on a bun. The Meat was cooked perfectly and they used the perfect amount of sauce. The batter on the jalapeno poppers was fresh and they were crispy without being burned.  The only complaint to be made at this meal was that my husband's fries could have been crispier. As the daughter of a full blooded Italian man, I was raised around food. I may not have ever attended culinary school but I know food and this was food at its best.

But just as burgers are only half of the name, they are half of the menu as well. Along with your order comes unlimited peanuts, all for free. Those with allergies should probably not even look at the picture provided below.



To anyone who wants to repeat the good experience I had, Burger Nuts can be found at 36099 Euclid Ave, Willoughby, OH 44094. Tell them Winnie's dish sent you.